South Florida Program (SFP): Climate Resilience

We live in a world where the climate is changing. The EPA includes climate resilience concepts into our South Florida Program to fulfill our mission to protect human health and the environment. 

Increasing climate resilience in south Florida is critical as natural disasters become more frequent and severe. NOAA’s State Climate Summary for Florida describes three key climate messages: 

• Hurricane rainfall rates are projected to increase as the climate continues to warm. 
• The intensity of naturally occurring droughts are projected to increase due to the higher temperatures. 
• Global sea level rise is projected to increase by 1-4 feet by 2100, increasing the frequency of coastal flooding and saltwater impacting coastal freshwater.

A goal of the South Florida Program is to protect and restore our waterways, including coral reef, mangrove, and seagrasses to provide protection against these events. 

Climate Resilience: The capacity of a system to maintain function in the face of stresses imposed by climate change and to adapt the system to be better prepared for future climate impacts. 

Climate Resilience in the South Florida Program 

The EPA evaluates grant proposal submissions under the annual Notice of Funding Opportunity based on a few factors. These include the extent and quality to which projects include nature-based solutions, community resilience, vulnerability assessments, and/or the protection and restoration of aquatic habitats to improve climate resilience.

Program applicants are encouraged to use climate data, tools, and information to consider how their proposed projects will affect climate resilience. This may include: 

• sea level rise
• inland or coastal flooding events
• the frequency, duration, and intensity of precipitation events
• wildfires and smoke
• exposure and sensitivity to extreme temperatures (including heat, drought, and wildfire)

Resources, Tools, and Information:

Learn more about climate resilience at the EPA by referencing The EPA’s Climate Adaptation Action Plan. 

The EPA’s Climate Change webpages provide information about the science, impacts, indicators, and resources surrounding climate change.

The National Climate Assessment regional chapters provide broad information on climate change impacts for each U.S. region. National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration's State Climate Summaries provide climate change information specific to each U.S. state.

The Climate Mapping for Resilience and Adaptation portal is an interactive website that helps users understand current and projected climate-related hazards that are relevant to investment decision-making.